Foldable solar protection device

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a foldable solar protection device comprising several articulated elements, characterized by the fact that the articulated elements are stacked panels ( 1 ) connected by a single pivot ( 4 ) adjacent one ( 6 ) of their ends for deployment by a circular movement and by the fact that it has means for holding the panels ( 1 ) in deployed position.  
     The invention will find its application particularly in the field of clothing accessories adapted for advertising.

[0001] The present invention relates to a foldable solar protection device comprising several articulated elements.

[0002] It will find its application particularly in the field of clothing accessories and in the field of advertising to constitute advertising supports.

[0003] Given its practical and original character, it could also find use in the field of presents or the sale of gadgets.

[0004] It could also be a head covering, an umbrella or else a parasol.

[0005] There are already known head coverings adapted to be folded and unfolded as needed by the user.

[0006] In particular, the document FR-A-2.678.486 discloses a head covering which comprises a covering portion of substantially hemispherical form, a crown strip forming a cylindrical section at the base of the covering portion and a visor which prolongs, its forward portion, the lower edge of the strip. The covering portion is made of a series of elements in the form of pins, disposed side by side, and whose ends located on the same side are superposed so as to form two stacks respectively fixed in two opposite positions of the strip. The head covering can be made by cutting out, bending and assembling a blank of semi-rigid material.

[0007] According to this prior art, a deployment of different elements composing the covering portion is permitted by the bias of two articulations in rotation located substantially each at the level of the temples of the user.

[0008] However, this system has the drawback of not permitting folding the visor.

[0009] Moreover, it does not fold flat.

[0010] As a result, this head covering remains particularly cumbersome even when it is in a non-use position.

[0011] Worse, this encumbrance is increased by the substantial length of the head covering in the folded position.

[0012] Thus, the elements articulated together which comprise the covering portion have a length corresponding to the entire width of the headwear, even when folded.

[0013] The present invention permits overcoming the drawbacks of the existing devices.

[0014] To do this, it has among its objects to facilitate the folding and the deployment of the solar protective device.

[0015] These operations take place according to a single circular movement, flat, of the constituent portions of the solar protective device about a single articlation.

[0016] Moreover, the invention has for its object to provide a solar protective device whose size in folded position is particularly reduced.

[0017] It has the advantage, to do this, of permitting complete folding including the visor which is however optional according to the invention.

[0018] Moreover, the articulated elements comprising the solar protective device have a large dimension corresponding only to half the circular profile of the solar protective device.

[0019] Another advantage of the solar protective device according to the invention is to provide in the course of unfolding the use in the form of a fan.

[0020] Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention, which is however not limiting.

[0021] The present invention relates to a foldable solar protective device comprising several articulated elements, characterized by the fact that the articulated elements are stacked panels of flexible material connected by a single pivot adjacent one of their ends for deployment by a circular movement and by the fact that it has means for holding the panels in deployed position.

[0022] Different modifications are envisigible for the invention, including those set forth hereafter:

[0023] the holding means are constituted by slides formed between successive panels and assembly means for the end panels;

[0024] each slide formed between two successive panels is constituted:

[0025] by an oblong hole formed on one of the panels in a curved manner on the arc of a circle centered on the pivot,

[0026] by a rivet disposed on the second panel and movable in the oblong hole between two abutment positions corresponding one to the folded position of the panels and the other to the deployed position;

[0027] it comprises a visor assembled by two corners to two panels to constitute a cap;

[0028] the visor is pivotally mounted by one corner on a panel, toward its second end and has, at the second corner, a hook adapted to coact with a hooking rivet located on a second panel, toward its second end;

[0029] the middle panel, located at an equal distance from the two assembly panels of the visor, comprises a tongue whose ferrule is adapted to be inserted at the bottom of a slot formed on the visor, to reinforce its holding;

[0030] the panels comprise one or several longitudinal cutouts adapted to increase their flexibility and aeration.

[0031] The accompanying drawings are given by way of indicative examples and are not limiting. They represent a preferred embodiment according to the invention in the form of a head covering. They permit easy comprehension of the invention.

[0032]FIG. 1 is a general view of the constituent portions of the head covering according to the invention according to a preferred embodiment.

[0033]FIG. 2 shows the head covering of the invention in folded position.

[0034]FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show successive phases in the deployment or folding of the proposed head covering.

[0035]FIG. 6 shows an example of the shape of the deployed head covering according to the invention.

[0036] There will be described hereafter a preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of a head covering.

[0037] The device according to the invention however is not thus limited.

[0038] It is at once to be noted that the visor 3 shown in the different figures constitutes a possible accessory of the head covering described here, without thereby being a necessary element.

[0039] According to the invention, the head covering comprises, to cover the upper portion of the head, different elements articulated together.

[0040] These elements are panels indicated at 1 in the different figures and notably in FIG. 1.

[0041] Within the scope of the invention, the panels 1 are connected by means of a pivot articulation 4, at a single end thereof.

[0042] Articulation 4 seen for example in FIG. 2, can be made by the formation of holes 5 at one of the ends 6 of each of the panels 1 and by a rivet disposed through the holes 5.

[0043] In this way, an assembly of panels 1 is produced, adapted to be deployed by a circular movement.

[0044] In the folded position, the panels 1 are all superposed and stacked on the assembly of their surface.

[0045] On the contrary, in the deployed position, only their first ends 6 are superposed and stacked.

[0046] To permit the shaping of the head covering from substantially flat panels 1 permitting a flat deployment, there are preferably used panels 1 of a flexible material and particularly from sheets of plastic material of small thickness.

[0047] The preformed panels can thus be used according to the curvature to be given to the headwear.

[0048] In addition to these panels 1 articulated by a single pivot 4, the head covering according to the invention comprises means for holding the panels 1 in deployed position.

[0049] These means ensure the securement of the configuration of the head covering for its use and, within the scope of shaping by bending the panels 1 of flexible material, permit holding in curved position each of the panels 1.

[0050] According to a preferred embodiment as shown in the different figures, the holding means are constituted by slides 8 visible in FIG. 5.

[0051] A slide 8 is formed between successive panels 1.

[0052] Moreover, the holding means comprise assembly means for the end panels 2 a, 2 b also seen in FIG. 5.

[0053] The slides 8 ensure the placing in deployed position of the panels 1 whilst maintaining a partial overlap of the panels 1.

[0054] Moreover, the assembly means definitively fix in position the panels 1.

[0055] Preferably, the assembly means for the end panels 2 a, 2 b are constituted on the one hand by a tongue 20 formed on one of the end panels 2 a and one or several slots 21 formed on the other end panel 2 b.

[0056] The use of several slots 21 permits adjusting the diameter of the head covering.

[0057] As to the slides 8 formed between two successive panels 1, they could be comprised as shown in the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0058] In this framework, each slide 8 comprises an oblong hole 9 formed substantially adjacent the second end 7 of the panel 1.

[0059] Moreover, to conform to the circular deployment movement of the panels 1 imposed by the central pivot 4, the oblong holes 9 are curved on the arc of a circle centered on the pivot 4.

[0060] To coact with the oblong hole 9, there is formed on the other panel 1 supporting the slide 8, a rivet 10 shown particularly in FIG. 5 and movable in the oblong hole 9.

[0061] In this way, the rivet 10 permits the sliding of the panel 1 which carries it through the oblong hole 5 between two end positions, one corresponding to the folded position, the other corresponding to the deployed position.

[0062] Preferably, and as previously indicated, the head covering according to the invention comprises a visor shown at 3 in the drawings.

[0063] This is preferably assembled to the rest of the head covering by two of its corners 13 and 14.

[0064] These latter are shown in FIG. 1.

[0065] By the corners 13, 14, the visor 3 can be mounted on two panels 1 spaced apart substantially by a length corresponding to that of the visor 3.

[0066] Again preferably, the visor 3 is pivotally mounted by one of its corners 13 on one of the panels 1.

[0067] As shown particularly in FIG. 5, this pivotal mounting is effected by a rivet assembling the corner 13 and a pivot projection 11 formed at the end 7 of the panel 1.

[0068] Moreover, according to this arrangement, the other corner 14 is assembled with another panel 1 which supports the visor by means of a hook 23 adapted to coact dis-assembleably with a hooking rivet 24.

[0069] This hooking rivet 24 can be constituted on a hooking projection 12 formed at the end 7 of the panel 1 in question.

[0070] As shown also in FIG. 5, bend lines 25 are preferably constituted on the visor 3 so as to permit adaptation of the shape according to the passage from a folded position to a deployed position.

[0071] Moreover, to help shape the visor 3 and hold it, a tongue 15 formed at the end 7 of the medial panel (the one located at an equal distance between the two panels 1 carrying the corners 13, 14 of the visor 3) is present to coact with a slot 18 formed in a corresponding fashion on the visor 3.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, the tongue 15 could comprise a base 16 of substantially triangular shape and provided at its free end with a ferrule 17 for example substantially circular, adapted to be inserted into a slot 18 present on the visor 3 and comprising, at its bottom, a bottom 19 of hollowed shape adapted to receive the ferrule 17.

[0073] As previously indicated, one of the advantages of the invention is to be deployable along a plane then adapted to be shaped to constitute the three-dimensional head covering.

[0074] To this end, there is used a plastic material whose flexibility is suitable to produce the panels 1 and as the case may be, the visor 3.

[0075] Moreover, to increase the flexibility or to adjust it, it is possible to constitute the cutouts 22 preferably in the direction of the length of the panels 1.

[0076] An example of cutout 22 is shown in the drawings and particularly in FIG. 5.

[0077] Moreover, the cutouts provide supplemental aeration to the head covering.

[0078]FIG. 6 shows the final result of the deployment of the head cover according to the invention.

[0079] To reach this result, the visor 3 in the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, is freed from the hooking corner 14 which coacts with the hooking projection 12.

[0080] Thus the position shown in FIG. 3 is achieved.

[0081] At this time, a pivoting of the visor about the pivoting corner 13, as shown in FIG. 4, permits disengaging the stack panels 1.

[0082] There is then carried out a circular deployment movement shown by an arrow in FIG. 5, permitting constituting a surface which will permit the covering of the head of the user.

[0083] It is to be noted that at this time, it is possible to use the head covering according to the invention in the form of a fan because it is substantially flat.

[0084] Moreover, the hook 23 carried by the visor 3 can constitute a securement and holding element in the position in the shape of a fan, for example by hooking the hook 23 at the pivot 4.

[0085] To obtain the head covering, the end panels 2 a, 2 b are assembled by means of assembly means for example constituted by a tongue 20 and a slot 21.

[0086] At this time, the head covering is set up and the mounting can be finalized by the definitive securement of the visor 3 in use position.

[0087] This is carried out by insertion of the hook 23 into the hooking rivet 24 carried by one of the panels 1.

[0088] Moreover, the tongue 15 can be emplaced as shown in FIG. 6 at the bottom 19 of the slot 18.

[0089] The folding of the head covering according to the invention takes place in the reverse manner of the steps previously described.

[0090] The position shown in FIG. 2 is thus resumed in which the visor 3 is folded about the stack of panels so as to hold them.

[0091] It is possible to use the hook 23 to hold the assembly in folded position.

[0092] In this connection, the hook 23 is hooked into one of the rivets 10 constituting the slides 8.

[0093] In addition to a head covering, the solar protective device of the invention could be present in the form of a parasol or an umbrella, a sleeve prolonged by a shaft being brought to the pivot 4.

REFERENCES

[0094]1. Panels

[0095]2 a, 2 b. End panels

[0096]3. Visor

[0097]4. Pivot

[0098]5. Hole

[0099]6. First end

[0100]7. Second end

[0101]8. Slide

[0102]9. Oblong hole

[0103]10. Rivet

[0104]11. Projecting pivet

[0105]12. Projecting hook

[0106]13. Pivoting corner

[0107]14. Hooking corner

[0108]15. Tongue

[0109]16. Base

[0110]17. Ferrule

[0111]18. Visor slot

[0112]19. Bottom

[0113]20. Tongue

[0114]21. Slots

[0115]22. Cutouts

[0116]23. Hook

[0117]24. Hooking rivet

[0118]25. Bend lines 

1. Foldable solar protective device comprising several articulated elements, characterized by the fact that the articulated elements are stacked panels (1) connected by a single pivot (4) adjacent one (6) of their ends for deployment by a circular movement and by the fact that it has holding means for the panels (1) in deployed position.
 2. Foldable solar protective device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the holding means are constituted by slides (8) formed between successive panels (1) and assembly means for the end panels (2 a, 2 b).
 3. Foldable solar protective device according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that each slide (8) formed between two successive panels (1) is constituted: by an oblong hole (9) formed on one of the panels (1) in a curved manner about an arc of a circle centered on the pivot (4), by a rivet (10) disposed on the second panel (1) and movable in the oblong hole (9) between two abutment positions corresponding one to the folded position of the panels (2), the other to the deployed position.
 4. Foldable solar protective device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized by the fact that it comprises a visor (3) assembled by two corners (13, 14) to two panels (1) to constitute a cap.
 5. Foldable solar protective device according to claim 4 characterized by the fact that the visor (3) is pivotally mounted by one corner (13) on a panel (1), toward its second end (7) and that it has, at the second corner (14), a hook (23) adapted to coact with the hooking rivet (24) located on a second panel (1), toward its second end (7).
 6. Foldable solar protective device according to claims 4 or 5, characterized by the fact that the medial panel, located at an equal distance from the two assembly panels of the visor (3), comprises a tongue (15) whose ferrule (17) is adapted to be inserted to the bottom (19) of a slot (18) formed on a visor (3), to reinforce its holding.
 7. Foldable solar protective device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the fact that the panels (1) are of a flexible material and comprise one or several longitudinal cutouts adapted to increase their flexibility and aeration. 